title: Reduction of respiratory syncytial virus titer in the lungs of mice after intranasal immunization with a chimeric peptide consisting of a single CTL epitope linked to a fusion peptide.
abstract: In the work described here, the effect of intranasal immunization of BALB/c mice with synthetic chimeric peptides consisting of a cytotoxic T-cell epitope (amino acids 81-95) from the M2 protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and a fusion peptide (amino acids 113-131) from the F1 protein of measles virus on response to challenge with RSV has been assessed. Three intranasal immunizations with the chimeric peptides without adjuvant induce peptide- and RSV-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses (CTL) at 1 or 3 weeks after the third immunization. The CTL responses significantly declined at 6 weeks after immunization. Furthermore, viral load in the lungs following challenge with RSV was significantly reduced in mice immunized with the F/M2:81-95 chimeric peptide compared to control animals at 1 or 3 weeks after immunization and no reduction of RSV titers was detectable 6 weeks after immunization. The CTL activity induced by F/M2:81-95 was therefore short-lived (less than 6 weeks) but was significantly correlated with the reduction in viral load in the lungs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hvgiene and Tropical Medicine, U.K.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chargelegue
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Steward
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic